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Isolated perfused Langendorff rat hearts were used for comparing effects of the calcium antagonist verapamil on the following two models of heart injury: local ischemia (ligature of the anterior interventricular artery) and general hypoxia (perfusate saturated with nitrogen). The degree and extent of injury were assessed by measuring the activity of lactate dehydrogenase in venous effluents from the heart, contractility, heart rate, coronary flow, and ECG. Lactate dehydrogenase activity in the venous effluents was the marker of cellular injury. Verapamil had a beneficial effect on the contractility and rhythmicity after reoxygenation of the hypoxically injured heart. Verapamil significantly reduced the release of lactate dehydrogenase during reperfusion and reoxygenation of ischemic and hypoxic hearts, respectively. Maximal lactate dehydrogenase activities during reperfusion of the ischemic hearts, treated with verapamil, were 6.3 ±1.9 kat/g x ml/min, compared to activities obtained from untreated ischemic hearts, 23.6 ± 5.4 kat/g x ml/min. Maximal lactate dehydrogenase activities during reoxygenation of the hypoxic hearts, treated with verapamil, were 3.6 ± 0.9 kat/g x ml/min, compared to the activities of untreated hypoxic hearts, 8.0 ± 2.4 kat/g x ml/min. Results of our experiment showed cytoprotective effects of verapamil, especially on local ischemic injury of the isolated heart.